Crawford Family Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2012: If you like your pinot noir on the bigger, brawnier side — rich on the palate, plush on the tongue — this is the wine for you.
Winemaker Mark Crawford Horvath, who has worked at Babcock and co-owned Kenneth-Crawford, blends fruit from some of Sta. Rita Hills’ top sites (Babcock, Bentrock, Radian, and Zotovich) and then ferments with some whole clusters and ages in neutral French oak for 16 months.
If you ever wondered what a “masculine” pinot was, try this, for it draws a very delicious, fruit-forward picture for you. Even better, if you order from their new website you can get it for $28 a bottle, not its regular $40. You won’t find a Sta. Rita Hills wine this good at that price.